Department for Transport

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to enableUkrainian refugees to more easily register personal vehicles with the DVLA for tax and insurance purposes.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department continues to explore options for how Ukrainian communities can be supported in the UK. To support the registration of Ukrainian vehicles, officials within the DfT are working across Whitehall to identify any other potential actions within existing legislative frameworks and will look to utilise these as appropriate.

Transport: Disability

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the views of disabled people are represented in transport policy decisions.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Department for Transport (DfT) officials engage regularly with stakeholders representing disabled people. The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) is the Department’s expert statutory advisor on the transport needs of disabled people. Involving DPTAC from the earliest stages of policy development helps us to ensure our policies deliver for disabled people.The Inclusive Transport Stakeholder Group (ITSG), which includes members from local government, transport operators, disabled people’s organisations and charities, acts as a sounding board to the Department as it develops and delivers policy on inclusive transport, drawing on the experience of Disabled People’s Organisations and transport partners.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish a response to the Managing pavement parking consultation, which ran from 31 August 2020 to 22 November 2020; and what assessmentthey have made of the merits of a ban on pavement parking to make it easier for those with a disability to walk or wheel on pavements.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department consulted on measures to address pavement parking in 2020 and the options included a nationwide pavement parking ban. The consultation received over 15,000 responses. We have been considering all views expressed, including from those with walking impairments or using a wheelchair. Ministers are reviewing the outcome of the consultation and the options for tackling pavement parking so that the best possible conclusion for all road users can be reached. We will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible.

Highway Code: Pedestrians

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government whatplans they have urgently to rewrite the Highway Code to strengthen the protection of pedestrians from those using bicycles and e-scooters on the pavement.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: It is important that both cyclists and e-scooter users know that, like other road users, the rules of the Highway Code and road traffic law apply to them. The use of cycles and rental e-scooters on the pavement is illegal, other than in designated areas such as on shared use paths, and enforcement is a matter for the police. Privately-owned e-scooters remain illegal to use on all public roads and existing penalties may apply. Rule 66 of The Highway Code states that cyclists should be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians, and should alert them to their presence when necessary. The Department continues to look at how we can improve road safety for everyone who uses our roads and pavements. Should new legislation be introduced to change the rules for e-scooters, the Department will review the Highway Code and whether any amendments may be appropriate.

Motorways: ICT

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to suspend the rollout of new sections of smart motorways until technical problems that have led to the recent suspensions of the Dynac system are fully solved; and what assessment they have made of the safety implications of the outages in this system andthe remedial measures put in place on the affected motorways.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The latest safety data shows that, overall, in terms of serious or fatal casualties, smart motorways are the safest roads on the Strategic Road Network. Nonetheless, in January 2022, the Government agreed to take forward all the Transport Select Committee recommendations including pausing all new smart motorway schemes yet to start construction until 5 years of safety and economic data is available. National Highways will only fully open new schemes that have been already in construction when they have successfully completed a number of stages of testing to ensure the scheme is ready to operate safely. In addition, National Highways has robust and well-rehearsed mitigation measures to deal with different types of operational challenges (including outages). These measures help to ensure the safety of all road users. They include increased traffic officer patrolling and CCTV monitoring on the network.

Global Navigation Satellite Systems: Aviation

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to announce the successful bidders for funding support for Phase 3 of the UK’s programme to introduce Global Navigation Satellite System approaches to aerodromes outside of controlled airspace and without an approach control service.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department is finalising preparations to launch the delivery of Phase 3 of the Global Navigation Satellite System Programme, and the announcements of successful sponsors will be made as soon as the process is complete.

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Procurement

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support small and medium-sized enterprises bidding for public contracts.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the UK economy. That is why we are making sure the power of Government spending supports this vital sector.We are increasing opportunities for SMEs in a variety of ways - from transparently publishing contract pipelines to simplifying bidding processes and strengthening prompt payment measures.We are also introducing a duty for contracting authorities to have regard to reducing and removing barriers to SME participation in procurement, and removing unnecessary obstacles relating to audited accounts and insurance in the conditions of participation.The new procurement regime we are putting in place will create a simpler and significantly more transparent system that will further open up public procurement to SMEs so that they can compete for and win more public contracts.

Government Departments: Consultants and Senior Civil Servants

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government how many external management consultants have been contracted by departments since 2019; and how many senior civil servants have taken early retirement since 2019.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Information on how many external management consultants have been contracted by departments since 2019 is not held centrally.The pension scheme administrator (MyCSP) is unable to provide the requested information as there are no markers or indicators on member records which signifies that a member is classed as a ‘Senior Civil Servant’.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Medical Records

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamallon 23 June 2022 (HL731), whatspecific data is collected on the number of treatments prescribed and administered by the COVID Medicines Delivery Units in England; where this information can be accessed; and which body is tasked with overseeing and acting on the results of this data.

Lord Markham: NHS England collects data on treatments for patients hospitalised due to COVID-19, hospital-onset infections and non-hospitalised patients treated through COVID Medicines Delivery Units (CMDUs). Data is collected on the numbers of treatments prescribed and administered, which shows that as of 19 February 2023, approximately 98,000 patients have been treated via CMDUs in England. This information is publicly available in an online-only format on NHS England’s website, which the Department monitors and which, in turn, helps informs the Department’s policy development.

Nurses: Training

Baroness Walmsley: To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of nurses dropped out of (1) all nurse training, (2) paediatric nurse training, (3) adult nurse training, and (4) mental health nurse training, in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Lord Markham: The Higher Education Statistics Agency publish the proportion of nursing entrants to undergraduate courses that are no longer in higher education. The following table shows the proportion of United Kingdom domiciled undergraduate nursing entrants who are no longer in higher education 2019/20. The rates in will not include students that have transferred to a course in another subject. Non-continuation rates are not available at the level of specific nursing professions. Proportion of entrants that are no longer in higher educationYoung students (21 years old and under)4.70%Mature students (over 21 years old)7.10%Source: The Higher Education Statistics Agency Non-continuation rates 2022.

Coronavirus: Immunosuppression

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 2 February (HL4910), when the next Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel is scheduled to meet to consider more recent evidence on COVID-19 risk; and who are the members of that panel.

Lord Markham: The Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel (TCRP) met on 31 January to review new evidence on the definition and revision of eligible cohorts from COVID-19 therapeutics. There was further correspondence was conducted between the Chair and membership, and a meeting on 2 February between the Chair and Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce members to consider his recommendations. No further meetings are currently scheduled. The list below outlines the current membership of the panel:- Professor James Palmer, National Medical Director Specialised Services, NHS England (chair);- Dr Vin Diwakar, Regional Medical Director, NHS England (London region) and Medical Director of Secondary Care and Transformation;- Dr Nikki Kanani, Medical Director of Primary Care for NHS England;- Dr James Coulson, Consultant Physician, Clinical Pharmacologist and Toxicologist and Clinical Director of the All-Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre;- Professor Thomas Evans, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow;- Dr Mark Cross Deputy Medical Director Risk and Governance, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust;- Dr Matthew Boulter, Senior Clinical Adviser, UK Health Security Agency;- Dr Nevila Kallfa, Adviser in Public Health Medicine, UK Health Security Agency; and- Professor Jonathan Benger, Chief Medical Officer, NHS Digital, Professor of Emergency Care, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston.

Evusheld

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 8 February (HL4944), when theclinical advice that was submitted to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) was agreed by theTherapeutics Clinical Review Panel; and what date was that submitted to NICE.

Lord Markham: The report produced by the Independent Advisory Group on potential cohorts eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis was reviewed by the Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel in April 2022. It was formally submitted to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on 13 January 2023.

Health Services: Females

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that female patients that object to being handled by a biologically male nurse who identifies as female are not discriminated against or recorded by the healthcare organisation as being “transphobic”.

Lord Markham: Patients can request care by a professional of a specific gender, and it will be up to the care provider or clinician to respond based on the patient’s needs and staff availability. The Government notes the importance of balancing the rights of different service users in specific contexts and ensuring that decisions taken by service providers are proportionate and patient centred.The Women’s Health Strategy sets out how we will improve the way in which the health and care system listens to women’s voices and ensure women can access services that meet their health needs across their lives.

NHS: Staff

Lord Porter of Spalding: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming NHS workforce strategy will include specific projections of workforce needs with respect to (1) health visiting, (2) school nursing, (3) sexual health services, and (4) drug and alcohol treatment.

Lord Markham: The Government has commissioned NHS England to deliver a high-level National Health Service Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP).This plan is currently being developed and we have committed to publishing it this year.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask His Majesty's Government what categories of people are exempt from prescription charges; and what percentage of the population this represents.

Lord Markham: Exemption from National Health Service prescription charges is available to those who:- are in receipt of certain benefits;- are pregnant or recently had a baby and hold a valid exemption certificate;- are aged 60 years old and over;- are aged under 16 years old, or 16,17 or 18 years old and in qualifying full-time education;- get a War Pension and the prescription is for the accepted disablement; and- have one of the listed medical conditions and hold a valid exemption certificate.In addition, the NHS Low Income Scheme help with health costs on an income-related basis. Those who qualify for full help under this scheme will receive free prescriptions.Approximately 60% of the population are exempt from prescription charges. Data on the breakdown by exemption type by population is not centrally held.

Department for Education

Horticulture: Vocational Guidance

The Earl of Leicester: To ask His Majesty's Government what they are doing to encourage more people to enter careers in arboriculture.

Baroness Barran: The department wants to ensure that people get high quality, impartial advice on the full range of education, training, and career pathways, including careers in arboriculture.Employers have designed three high-quality apprenticeship standards in arboriculture at entry level 2, level 4, and level 6, to support them to develop the skilled workforces they need. The department recognises that current numbers of apprentices who complete apprenticeships in arboriculture is low. To support more employers and learners to access apprenticeships, the department is increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year. Based on the same employer-led standards as apprenticeships, T Levels in Agriculture, Land Management and Production will be taught for the first time this September. This course allows students to specialise in Trees and Woodlands Management.The department works with the Careers & Enterprise Company to support secondary schools and colleges to provide pupils with at least one meaningful interaction with employers per pupil per year, an experience of the workplace by age 16 and a further experience by age 18. There are lots of ways employers can engage with the Careers & Enterprise Company, including volunteering to work with individual schools or colleges and working with Careers Hubs on a larger local or regional scale. Industry partnerships support business and sector bodies to share up-to-date information about new pathways into their sector to education leaders and young people and increase the representation of their sector nationally. Employers can find out more via the Careers & Enterprise Company website at: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/employers/.The National Careers Service (NCS) supports both young people over 13 and adults in offering careers advice across all employment sectors. The website includes around 800 job profiles, describing what these roles entail, qualifications, and entry routes. The NCS can also work with industry to disseminate information to career leaders and careers advisers, in schools, colleges, and in the community via bulletins and newsletters.The department also funds the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme, which provides information, advice and guidance to young people in years 10 to 13 in schools, and further education colleges. At a cost of £3.2 million per year, the programme reached 680,000 young people in the 2021/22 academic year, and over 2,000 schools. It supports young people, parents and carers and teachers into understanding and applying for apprenticeships, T Levels, and Traineeships.Employers and professional bodies in the arboriculture sector can sign up to Inspiring the Future, run by the Education and Employers charity. This free programme allows volunteers to visit state schools to talk to pupils about their jobs. This will raise the profile of various careers within the arboriculture sector. This is available at: https://www.inspiringthefuture.org.

Apprentices: Taxation

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the Apprenticeship Levywas returned to the Treasury in each of the last three years.

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of giving businesses greater control of the Apprenticeship Levy, in order to fund a wider range of courses which could be used to fill vacancies in sectors struggling with recruitment, such as hospitality and retail.

Baroness Barran: The apprenticeship levy is an important part of the government’s reforms to create a high-quality, employer-led apprenticeships system, and it supports employers of all sizes to invest in high-quality apprenticeship training. The government does not currently have any plans to review the apprenticeship levy.The apprenticeships budget is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers, and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers and providers. The table below shows the department’s ring-fenced apprenticeships budget against the apprenticeship expenditure for the last three financial years (FY).(£ million)FY 19/20FY 20/21FY 21/22DfE Ring-fence Apprenticeships Budget 2,4692,4672,466Total Ring-fence Apprenticeships Spend 1,9191,8632,455Underspend against Ring-fenced Apprenticeships Budget55060411In the 2021/22 financial year, 99.6% of the apprenticeships budget was spent. It is therefore important that the apprenticeships budget remains ring-fenced to support the demand by employers for high-quality apprenticeship training.The government is increasing apprenticeship funding to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year and is continuing to improve the apprenticeships system to support employers fill their vacancies and train their workforces to address industry skills gaps.The department has worked with employers to develop over 660 high-quality apprenticeship standards, including in hospitality and retail occupations. We have also created flexible training models, like flexi-job and accelerated apprenticeships, and improved the levy transfer system so it is easier for levy paying employers to make full use of their levy funds.

Apprentices: Taxation

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government, given that over £600 million of unused Apprenticeship Levy funding has been returned to the Treasury, when they intend to review that levy.

Baroness Barran: The apprenticeship levy is an important part of the government’s reforms to create a high-quality, employer-led apprenticeships system, and it supports employers of all sizes to invest in high-quality apprenticeship training. The government does not currently have any plans to review the apprenticeship levy.Whilst the department has seen some underspends in the apprenticeships budget in previous years, this will not always be the case. In the 2021/22 financial year the total spend on apprenticeships was £2,455 million against the budget of £2,466 million, meaning that 99.6% of the apprenticeships budget was spent. It is therefore important that the apprenticeships budget remains ring-fenced to support the demand from employers for high-quality apprenticeships training.The government is increasing apprenticeship funding to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year and is continuing to improve the apprenticeships system to support more employers and apprentices to benefit from apprenticeships. The department has created flexible training models, like flexi-job and accelerated apprenticeships, to make apprenticeships accessible for all sectors. We have also improved the transfer system to make it easier for levy paying employers to find other employers who wish to take on new apprentices with transferred funds. Additionally, we are working with training providers to simplify the apprenticeship system through our “You said, we did” programme.

Apprentices: Degrees

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to enhance information on career opportunities for students considering project management degree apprenticeships, particularly given the needs arising from the net zero and levelling up agendas.

Baroness Barran: Employers have designed over 155 high-quality degree level apprenticeship standards, including in project management, to support the development of the skilled workforces they need. In the 2021/22 academic year, there were 590 starts on the Level 6 Project Manager degree apprenticeship, up from 140 starts in the 2018/19 academic year.The department would like to see even more people benefit from the high-quality career opportunities that degree level apprenticeships provide and are taking steps to ensure that young people can access these opportunities more easily.In addition to the department's Find an Apprenticeship service, which allows people to search and apply for apprenticeship vacancies, the department continues to work with employers to produce the biannual higher and degree level apprenticeship vacancy listing. The latest listing, published during National Apprenticeship Week, features over 300 vacancies across the country that are available to apply to in 2023. These vacancies are also being promoted to students through our Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme.The ASK programme provides free resources in schools and colleges to ensure that students, parents, and teachers are aware of apprenticeships – including degree apprenticeships. The programme is supported by £3.2 million of funding per year and has worked with 5,000 schools, reaching over 1.7 million students and over 230,000 parents.UCAS is also expanding its apprenticeships service, so that young people can see relevant apprenticeship vacancies on the UCAS hub, including degree apprenticeships. They are also working with the department to ensure that from 2024, students will be able to apply for apprenticeships alongside an undergraduate degree application. This means thousands more young people will benefit from a wider choice of high-quality options, and employers can benefit from better access to talent on UCAS.

Horticulture: Apprentices

The Earl of Leicester: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people (1) started, and (2) completed, an arborist apprenticeship for each year between 2017 and 2022.

Baroness Barran: Apprenticeship starts and achievements on the Arborist Apprenticeship Standard (ST0223) are shown in the below table.Academic YearStartsAchievements2017/18 Full Year13002018/19 Full Year17002019/20 Full Year17002020/21 Full Year220102021/22 Full Year190202022/23 (Aug to Oct)140LowVolumes are rounded to the nearest 10 and 'low' indicates a base value of fewer than five. This data has come from the Apprenticeships and Traineeships 2022/23 release, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/223f5602-9c34-4509-943f-08db08498a11.

Apprentices: Taxation

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between the fall in the Apprenticeship Levy fee and the fall in the number of new apprenticeship starts; and whether they plan to reintroduce the £3,000 amount for all age groups.

Baroness Barran: The government’s apprentice incentive payments of up to £3,000 have helped employers of all sizes to build back from the COVID-19 pandemic more successfully, supporting over 195,000 new apprentices into work between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2022, 77% of which were apprentices under the age of 25.The apprenticeship incentive payments were introduced as part of the government’s Plan for Jobs in 2020, in recognition of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on business, and to support employers to recruit the right people and develop the skills they needed to recover and grow. The department has no current plan to reintroduce the incentive scheme, but continues to support employers with the cost of apprenticeship training.The government is increasing funding for apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year to support more employers to offer new apprenticeship opportunities. As part of this, the department continues to provide £1,000 payments to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19 or from the ages of 19 to 24, who have an education, health and care plan, or have been in care.The government contributes 95% of the cost of apprenticeship training for small-to-medium sized enterprises who do not pay the apprenticeship levy for up to 10 apprentices a year, and funds 100% of the training costs for the smallest employers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18.The department continues to monitor the level of apprenticeship starts and completions and publishes this information at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships. Between August and November 2022, there have been 155,900 apprenticeship starts.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Hayward: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  further to his Written Answers on 30 January (HL4799) and 13 February (HL5205), whether a review will be conducted of the cost involved of having traffic controllers stationed on the parliamentary estate during the current building works; and what assessment has been made of the proportionality of that cost to the risks identified.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Strategic Estates are reviewing the number of traffic marshals on the Parliamentary estate, including the cost. A period of review is necessary to analyse the operation and impact of the one-way system and the role of traffic marshals. The review will look to reduce the number of marshals, if appropriate.When building work is undertaken on the estate there is an obligation to do everything reasonably practicable to ensure safety and minimise the impact to the business of both Houses. The introduction of traffic marshals was based on risk assessments and follows the published guidance from the Health and Safety Executive. The guidance states that pedestrians and traffic should be segregated on construction sites. As this is not possible on the Parliamentary Estate, additional mitigations are required. It is deemed, therefore, that traffic controllers on the estate are necessary while construction work is taking place.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Rohingya: Refugees

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the decision of the World Food Programme to cut the daily food ration to Rohingya refugees by 17 per cent; and whether they will contribute to making up the shortfall in funding.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is a leading donor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, providing £345 million in vital humanitarian support since 2017. We are monitoring the impact of the food ration cut on the refugees closely. The UK provided £8.8m for food assistance to the Rohingya during 2022 and will continue to provide support during 2023. Global humanitarian funding is under unprecedented strain, and we are concerned that total donor funding for the Rohingya response will not revert back to previous levels. We continue to raise with the Government of Bangladesh and the UN on the importance of improving the Rohingya's self-sufficiency through income generating opportunities to reduce the reliance on humanitarian aid.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in Syria; and what consideration they have given to lifting the general economic sanctions imposed on that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Underlying humanitarian conditions in Syria are a product of Assad's violent campaign against the Syrian people. Even before the 6 February earthquake, the UN assessed that 15.3 million Syrians required humanitarian assistance. The UK has committed £3.8 billion in humanitarian aid to Syria since 2012. Since the earthquake, we have pledged £43.3 million. The UK will not lift sanctions targeting the regime until they change behaviour and engage in the UN political process. UK sanctions do not target humanitarian aid, food, or medical supplies. On 15 February, we issued two General Licences, which build on existing humanitarian provisions, to further facilitate relief efforts in Syria following the earthquake.

Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthey have set a date for the Joint Ministerial Council with the Overseas Territories in respect of the meeting postponed in November 2022.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government greatly values the Joint Ministerial Council with the Overseas Territories as the main forum to discuss issues of mutual interest and to agree actions to tackle shared challenges. The next Joint Ministerial Council will be held on 11-12 May 2023.

Marburg Virus: Disease Control

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the threat to global health resulting from the Marburg virus disease, following the outbreak in Equatorial Guinea confirmed on 13 February.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: On 13 February, Equatorial Guinea confirmed its first outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD). We assess that MVD is a serious, disruptive, socially threatening and often deadly disease. The risk of wider spread will depend on a number of factors and should be managed similarly to Ebola. We are in touch with international partners and are monitoring the effectiveness of the response by local authorities and the World Health Organisation.

Uganda: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they will have with the government of Uganda about its decision to close the offices of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in that country in August 2023.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK regrets the decision by the Government of Uganda not to renew the mandate of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' (OHCHR) country office in Uganda. Since its establishment in 2006, with an initial mandate focused on the human rights situation in conflict-affected areas of Northern Uganda, OHCHR has made an important contribution towards the promotion and protection of human rights in Uganda. The UK makes regular representations to the Government of Uganda on human rights and will continue to work with all Ugandans to advocate for democratic freedoms and the respect for human rights.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps, if any, the United Nations force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is taking to prevent further attacks and atrocities by M23 militias in North Kivu.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK condemns recent atrocities committed by all armed groups including M23 in eastern DRC. We urge all parties to honour commitments made during regional political meetings, including the cessation of hostilities and agreed withdrawal by M23. The UK is committed to supporting efforts to build stability and reduce violence in DRC including through the UN Peacekeeping Mission MONUSCO, where we contributed $58 million and three military staff officers in 2022/23. MONUSCO plays a vital role in the protection of civilians and working alongside the Government and the East African Regional Force to highlight and where possible prevent attacks from armed groups, including M23, in line with the mandate that was agreed at the UN Security Council.

Sudan: Land Mines

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance theywill provide to the government of South Sudan to enable that country to meet its international obligations under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention to become free of landmines.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is supporting efforts to clear landmines and other explosive hazards in Sudan through the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). Clearing contaminated land in regional areas across Sudan has provided safe access for humanitarian personnel and enabled civilians to access basic services, such as water supplies and healthcare.

Ministry of Defence

HMS Victorious: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Submarine Delivery Agency will take to ensure that mistakes made in the HMS Vanguard refit will not be repeated in HMS Victorious.

Baroness Goldie: The Submarine Delivery Agency is working with Babcock and the Royal Navy to fully review and ensure lessons learned from HMS Vanguard's Deep Maintenance Period will be applied to all subsequent Vanguard Class Deep Maintenance Projects.

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government how many small boats used by illegal immigrants crossing the channel have been seized in the past two years; in what way those boats havebeen disposed of; and what assessment they have made oftheir origins and patterns involved in their purchase.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: All small boats used for illegal crossings vessels are seized by Border Force, assessed for evidential value, and are held by Border Force until completion of any criminal investigation activities.The boats are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled. Although the Home Office does research the origins of migrant vessels it would be inappropriate to go into the findings of those enquiries.

Visas: Syria and Turkey

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce an emergency visa route for Syrian and Turkish people affected by the earthquakes with family members in the UK.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Government has no plans to implement specific schemes for those impacted by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria to join family members in the UK. Existing visa routes for those wishing to come to the UK are available.The UK continues to provide lifesaving and emergency support, coordinating closely with the Turkish government and United Nations in Syria to ensure our support meets the needs on the ground and that we can stay responsive to emerging needs.

Immigration Controls

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1) cost, (2) duration, and (3) means of application, for the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: To strengthen the security of the UK border, the Government is introducing an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. This scheme is similar in nature to the USA ESTA and the EU ETIAS Scheme which will be introduced this year.Applicants will need to complete a quick, light-touch ETA application form for a small fee. They will need to provide biographic and biometric data, and answer a short set of suitability questions.The exact cost of an ETA application be announced in due course.If granted, an ETA will be valid for multiple trips over a 2 year period, or until the expiry date of the passport used to apply, whichever is sooner.

Research, Information and Communications Unit

Lord Dobbs: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the remit of Prevent’s Research Information and Communications Unit; how many staff it has; and what was its annual budget for the past five years.

Lord Dobbs: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish in full the analysis reportedly prepared by Prevent's Research Information and Communication Unit (RICU) that identified certain books, films and TV shows as far-right and white supremacist; and what assessment they have made of whether such an analysis is within RICU's official remit.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU) was established in 2007 under the Prevent strand of HMG’s CONTEST strategy. RICU aims to understand and counter terrorist and extremist ideologies to reduce the risk to the UK, its citizens, and its interests overseas. RICU currently has 22 allocated staff. This is subject to annual review depending on operational requirements. RICU’s spend by financial year for the last five years is provided below. Spend increased significantly from financial year 2012/2013 to support RICU’s response to the threat posed by Daesh. 2022/23 figures are based on spend to date.Financial YearTotal spend (£)2018/201919,087,916.672019/202017,399,192.002020/202120,461,482.002021/20228,599,531.002022/20235,072,290.00 RICU provides internal analysis on terrorist use of propaganda and exploitation of the internet to inform the UK’s counter-terrorism system. To support this crucial objective RICU undertakes open-source monitoring to better understand the terrorist and extremist media, online and communications environment. This open-source monitoring identifies a range of material that is shared and discussed within these spaces, including topics or media that terrorist and extremist groups are seeking to exploit. All RICU data collection and analysis complies with relevant legislation.The work of RICU is crucial to the delivery of Prevent and has helped to position the UK at the forefront of the battle against terrorist propaganda, particularly online terrorist content. The unauthorised disclosure of classified information damages the ability of the Government to keep the public safe from threats to national security.Prevent remains a vital tool to divert people from dangerous and poisonous ideologies. We are now implementing all recommendations from the recent Independent Review of Prevent led by William Shawcross, paving the way for a more transparent, efficient and sustainable programme.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Local Housing Allowance

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the impact of freezing Local Housing Allowance rates on expenditure by local authorities on temporary accommodation for those unable to sustain their private tenancies.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The causes of homelessness are complex, and it is driven by a range of factors including changes to household income. The Government is committed to preventing homelessness where possible. We have announced the allocation of £654 million in funding through the Homelessness Prevention Grant that will be made available to local authorities in 2023/24 and 2024/25. This investment builds on the £366 million in funding already available to local authorities through the Homelessness Prevention Grant for 2022/23.

Local Housing Allowance

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Local Housing Allowance rates on the supply of affordable housing.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: I refer the noble Lady to the answer to Question UIN to 117908 (attached) on 16 January. UIN 117908 (pdf, 85.6KB)

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Environment Protection and Technology: Employment

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review and simplify processes for large employers to assist smaller employers in enabling more young people to access employment opportunities in the green or technology markets.

Lord Callanan: Through the Green Jobs Delivery Group, the Government is working with industry to evaluate entry routes into green careers for young people.Flexible training models mean apprenticeships are accessible for all sectors, with ‘career starter’ standards in place to attract more young people.Local Skills Improvement Plans will embed greater employer engagement in local skills systems in ways that bring the demand and supply sides more closely together and enable a more coherent “whole system” approach to skills planning including in green industries.

Nuclear Energy: Investment

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what investment they are making in nuclear energy.

Lord Callanan: The Government has invested £700m to develop the Sizewell C project – the first state backing for a nuclear project in over 30 years. The Government is investing in new nuclear, launching the £120m Future Nuclear Enabling Fund as well as the £75m Nuclear Fuel Fund to develop existing and future fuel capabilities. The Advanced Nuclear Fund of up to £385m is funding Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactors. Up to £210m of this is helping to develop the Rolls Royce SMR design. The Fund is also supporting an AMR Research Development & Demonstration competition.

Climate Change

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Callanan on 8 February (HL Deb col 1218), what assessment they have made of the World Climate Declaration.

Lord Callanan: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to him on 16th December 2022 to Question HL3971.

Northern Ireland Office

Cancer: Northern Ireland

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland concerning long waiting lists for cancer treatment and operations.

Lord Caine: The Government is acutely aware of the pressures facing the health service in Northern Ireland, including on cancer treatment. A fully functioning devolved government is the best way to deliver the necessary reforms to transform healthcare and cut waiting lists. That is why the Government is doing all it can to restore the Executive as soon as possible. In the meantime, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has introduced appropriate measures to protect the delivery of all public services and my officials continue to engage regularly with the Northern Ireland Department of Health.

Treasury

Duty Free Allowances

The Earl of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will carry out a detailed cost-benefit analysis of tax-free shopping which also takes account of the potential benefits to the wider economy of removing such taxes.

Baroness Penn: The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published their assessment of the withdrawal of the previous VAT-free shopping schemes in November 2020. This showed that the withdrawal of VAT-free shopping would raise a significant amount of revenue and have a limited behavioural effect on decisions to visit, or spend, in the UK. The Treasury remains confident in the OBR’s analysis.

Duty Free Allowances

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government what form of allowances and controls would be required to ensure duty was paid where allowances were exceeded were duty-free shopping for individuals moving between Northern Ireland and the EU to be introduced.

Baroness Penn: While it would not be appropriate for me to comment on a hypothetical issue, I can reaffirm that the Government remains committed to maintaining frictionless trade on the island of Ireland. Introducing duty-free shopping for goods moving between Northern Ireland and the EU would undermine that commitment.